Ch.4: Learning in the Collective
Question: What about introverts? As an introvert myself I wonder how much is being said for the lurker, the quiet participant, or is there no room for introverts in tomorrow’s world of school?
Connection: The information about collectives really reminded me of the need for digital citizenship. Collectives can be amazing but most of the examples from the book were mature adult collectives. I remember the comments Wagner made in his book about the communities his son sought out for minecraft advice, and I’ve seen similar behavior in my 11 year old step son recently. Can school force a collective on students, or is it more beneficial for students to seek out learning collectives based on their interests?
Epiphany: As I read this chapter I realized I’ve been through this process before. When I learned how to knit I found a website called Ravelry that was brand new and only allowing people in on an invite basis. The initial concept behind Ravelry was just a place for people that knit or crochet to keep track of projects, especially details like yarn and dye lots, and share patterns. Within a year, it had blown up in the fiber community, specifically for the forums. Groups existed that had nothing to do with knitting, like the Beer and Fiber group I’m in, or groups for TV shows where people will “knit-a-long” to the episode together, and post or use the chat feature. Eventually, the connections were driving the knitting just as much as the knitting was driving the connections.
Ch.5: The Personal with the Collective
Question: What research has been done on creating online and real life collectives between schools and parents and/or partner organizations?
Connection: This chapter makes the point that “almost every difficult issue we face today is a collective, rather than a personal, problem” and immediately made me recall the lectures we watched on Jane McGonigal that addressed how collectives can help us solve both collective and personal problems, if it is a supportive collective with similar goals. It also echoes the story of the Ryerson study group.
Epiphany: This chapter talks a lot about the learning that takes place as a student and a learner, but I kept thinking how beneficial it is to me as a teacher and as a professional. It is just as important for leaders and teachers to be part of collectives that support each other, share, and challenge each other, as it is for students who are looking to explore and learn.
Ch.6: We Know More Than We Can Say
Question: I would ask for more information about how to apply the “set of constraints” to explorative learning to create a problem.
Connection: The discussion of how sometimes the questions are more important than the answer is something I can relate to with the 20% project. Every time I answer a question I feel like I have 2 new ones. Many times when I give my students opportunities to search for answers to a problem or a question, they stop with the answer. I am learning to ask more probing questions, and get students thinking deeper about answers.
Epiphany: When reading this chapter I recalled reading this blog post earlier, I noticed that this chapter definitely relates directly to #2 and #4. There are some things that some educators have a hard time accepting, but just need to deal with. Times have changed and its best just to be flexible and do what is best to teach our students.